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60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
Firooz Rufeh, Donald R. Olander and Thomas H. Pigford
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 23 | Number 4 | December 1965 | Pages 335-338
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE65-A21069
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A high-pressure furnace that operates up to 2000°C in the pressure range of 100 atm to 10−5 torr was designed and constructed to saturate UO2 powder of 4-µm average particle size with 4He. The powder was then dissolved in a fused salt in an induction chamber. The released 4He was mixed with a known quantity of 3He, and the mixture was analyzed with a mass spectrometer to determine the 4He: 3He ratio, hence the original mass of 4He in the sample. The solubility of He in UO2 at 1200 and 1300°C was found to be 6.71 × 10−4 and 3.23 × 10−4 cm3 (STP)/(g atm), respectively. It was also found that the He-UO2 system obeys Henry's law. From a plot of He concentration as a function of time, the diffusion coefficient at 1200 °C was estimated to be 1.5 × 10−13 cm2/sec.